


And When Shall We Meet Again?

by Starren_Moonstone



Series: Collections from The Journalist - Whumptober Edition [6]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: "Please...", Day 6, Gen, References to Shakespeare, Shakespeare Quotations, Shapeshifting, avatarsona, no more, whumptober2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26859556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starren_Moonstone/pseuds/Starren_Moonstone
Summary: Cam returns to a place of personal significance, and gives unwanted acting practice.
Series: Collections from The Journalist - Whumptober Edition [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947499
Kudos: 1





	And When Shall We Meet Again?

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober Day 6: "Please..." - no more  
> This is more inspired by the internal dialogue this poor victim has while Cam is doing their thing.

May 24th, 2014

Cam usually likes hanging out in the New Globe theater. New, considering they had to rebuild the place. It isn’t the same, but then again, all of London was very different from when Cam first performed on the stage. The buildings are all shiny and new. Offices, shops, housing starting on the second floor, pubs. A whole city transformed. Well, it had to. There were fires that wiped out a lot of the place. Cam was around to see it take place. 

The New Globe had the old look, but certainly felt very new. They certainly do a lot to keep the place looking nice, which on one hand Cam can appreciate. On the other… it felt wrong. The place should feel ancient, with the smell of the old city marinated on the wood and the floors covered in mud and who knows what else. At least the center of the theater was all dirt. Cam, wearing a mask of some high noble, occupies the upper view area, looking down at the stage at large. That was another thing about this place that was off; there used to be more of a presence from their patron, but that burned away with the rest of the original theater, and it wasn’t brought back when the new stage was put together.

It certainly isn’t barren from lack of trying; it is just the modern audience is more used to strange faces in a theater, what with many of them being tourists, come to see the legacy of the Bard, William Shakespeare. Much appreciated, but it makes it hard to bring the Stranger’s influence to this place. 

“When shall we three meet again?” Cam asks, half-mindedly, sitting on one of the benches, to no one in particular, “In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”

They do know the supposed curse around the play. Part of it is self-fulfilling prophecy by this point in time. The old curse has already taken it’s toll on those involved… and Cam figures that whatever will happen will happen by this point in time. It’s not like they can die by normal means anyway… if they can die at all. “When the hurly-burly’s done. When the battle’s lost and won. That will be ere the set of sun…”

A torch is turned on and out steps an actor wearing modern clothing, looking nervously around the stage. Cam is immediately intrigued, and tries to hide more in the shadows. 

“Hark!” The actor speaks into the darkness. “Who lies in the second chamber?”

So, the place is to do Macbeth for real… Cam’s intrigue is heightened, and something in them wishes to mess with the person on stage. An easy enough thing to do. Cam swiftly makes their way down to the stage level, searching backstage for a good Lady Macbeth sort of mask. 

“There’s one did laugh in his sleep, and one cried “Murder!” That they did wake each other up.” This actor is merely reading lines, and Cam can hear that in his voice. Reading lines from a page and not trying to feel the emotion and fear behind Macbeth’s voice in this scene. “I stood and heard them. But they did say their prayers, and addressed them again to sleep.”

“There are two lodged together,” Cam said, in a voice they have reserved specifically for Lady Macbeth, making it bounce from somewhere in the theater and not from behind.

The actor, from what Cam can tell from behind, looks wildly around. He probably believed he was alone. Well, that’s a lie. He takes a deep breath, and probably convinces himself he is hearing things. “One cried, “God bless us!” and “Amen” the other, as they had seen me with these hangman’s hands. Listening their fear I could not say “Amen,” when they did say “God bless us!”” 

“Consider it not so deeply.” Cam replaces the nobles mask with something more feminine. It’s not exactly a Lady Macbeth mask, but it will do. They transform into a tough looking lady, one who wears an elegant dress and immaculate head piece. Good enough, though it was never a costume Cam ever wore for this roll before.   
“But… wherefore could not I pronounce “Amen”?” There is a tremble in this actor’s voice. There, a bit better. Cam steps closer. “I had most need of blessing, and “Amen” stuck in my throat.”

Cam puts their hands on the actor’s shoulders, immediately making him tense up. The fear radiating from him is a good feeling. “These deeds must not be thought after these ways.” Cam whispers in his ear. “So it will make us mad.”

The actor in question has frozen stiff, unable to complete his part. That won’t do. “Macbeth shall sleep no more,” Cam says with the actor’s voice, skipping a bunch of dialog, but it isn’t their fault this actor has no idea how to preform under pressure. The actor puts a hand over his mouth, eyes widening.

Cam moves to face the actor, making their face contort with harshness fitting for the scene. “Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane.” They smirk, slightly, remembering the thrill of being on stage. “You do unbend your noble strength to think so brainsickly of things. Go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place?” Cam pulls out a dagger they found backstage and plays with it tauntingly. “They must lie there. Go carry them and smear the sleep grooms with blood.”

“I’ll… I’ll go no more…” The actor has some of his performance courage back. “I am afraid… to think what I have done… I dare not look on it again.”

“Infirm of purpose!” Cam shouts, more out of annoyance that the last line was messed up. “Give me the daggers.” They clench the actor’s shoulder, holding him in place. “The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures.” They grin menacingly, holding the dagger in a very threatening place near the heart.

The actor tears away from Cam, trying to run from the theater. Cam grins for a moment, but it slowly fade, and they take off the mask they wear, leaving their modern day, blue haired self standing upon their favorite stage alone. A yerning of the stage fills their heart…

“Out, damned spot,” they mutter, rubbing their knuckles on their chest, “What need we yern who knows it, when none will call our power to recall?” There is no reclaiming the past, and yet… they still do.

On the floor of the stage, they notice that the actor has left his script and phone, the torch function still on. Cam picks up the phone, and sees it is not locked… “Well, that is very stupid of you,” they say, smirking, “Mr. Thomas Ashwin.” A victim for their troubles of yerning… not a bad trade off. “Maybe we can get some fear into your Macbeth yet.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so I accidentally made The Bard into an avatar. That's a whole story in it of itself.  
> If you like what you read and want to learn more and keep up with this content, I have a tumblr set up. beholdingwriter.tumblr.com I'll be posting up the stories on there, as well as answering questions about the characters involved in this collection of stories.


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